New Tripoli man with autism trains to be part of Lehigh Valley workforce

Young, autistic man from New Tripoli trains to be part of the Lehigh Valley workforce

Bronson Baer, 21, is being trained to work at the mail room of Good Shepherd… (MONICA CABRERA, THE MORNING…)

June 04, 2012|By Milton D. Carrero, Of The Morning Call

Bronson Baer is ready to compete in the coveted job market.

He is a team player, he is motivated and he doesn't mind doing repetitive tasks. He graduated from high school with honors and is about to achieve perfect attendance as part of Project Search — a nine-month school-to-work program for students with special needs at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown.

"Give me a job and, with a little instruction, I'm able to do the job," says the 21-year-old resident of New Tripoli. "The motivation that I have now is that I want a job. That's what keeps me going every day."

Project Search is one of the few employment resources available for adults with disabilities in the Lehigh Valley. Its goal is to aid in the transition from the school system to the workforce. Participants are trained to work in areas such as laundry, housekeeping, hospitality, central supply and the mail room.

Training takes place entirely at the workplace. There is a classroom component, but the trainees are treated like employees. They learn to not only do their job well, but they also acquire communication and social skills that enable them to fit easily into the work setting.

Baer began training at Good Shepherd's mail room in January. He is responsible for sorting correspondence and photocopying documents from various departments within Good Shepherd's Rehabilitation Network. He also helps stock the hospital's central supply room. The tasks are elaborate and require focus and patience.

"They really teach us about what is important in life," says program instructor Danielle Rolland. "They teach us how they can contribute, they have us look at their abilities versus what they cannot do."

Baer is on his third training rotation at Good Shepherd. He is hoping a full-time position opens at the rehabilitation network that could use the skills he has learned so far.

"I like working here because it's such a nice working community," Baer says about his mentors at Good Shepherd. "They are nice people and I like what I'm doing."

Baer visualizes himself working at a warehouse or at a post office. But these are not the only jobs he can do. He has a knack for literature and enjoys reading the classics on his Kindle. His favorite book: Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan series.

"The sense of action and adventure in those books, that's what I like about Edgar Rice Burroughs' style," he explains.

Project Search began in 1998 by Erin Riehle, clinical director of the emergency department of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The hospital had trouble retaining employees to restock the center's medical supplies. While it was easy to fill these entry-level jobs with high school and college students, their turnover was continuous due to the repetitive nature of the task, though vital to the hospital's operations.

To solve the problem, the hospital adopted diverse hiring practices that paved the way to the program's creation and its proliferation worldwide.

The founders learned that with proper guidance, people with disabilities can become reliable, long-term employees. They seldom miss work and are eager to do jobs that other employees tend to find tedious. The program also mentors its business partners on efficient ways to guide and manage employees with disabilities.

Good Shepherd launched its version of the program four years ago. It graduates an average of eight students every year. That number could double next year with the program's expansion to the Lehigh County Government Center. But even with the expansion, it is not enough to cover the demand, program instructor Rolland says.

Project Search is available to adults who possess basic communication and social skills. They must show a desire to work in a business setting and the willingness to function independently. The minimum age is 18.

Baer is upfront about his abilities and disabilities, as well as his goals.

"I don't have any high mental disabilities, just social ones," Baer says, alluding to his diagnosis within the autism spectrum. "But I do get along with other people in regards to work, as a team player."